The Mayor of Bamenda I Council, Caroline Bongwa, has expressed the need to transform her municipality into a veritable tourist destination, as a source of revenue to the council.
The projects envisaged include the graves of several Germans (military and civilians who came with Zintgraff) who were killed and buried during the colonial days around Governor’s Office, Up Station Bamenda.
The Council authorities, meeting on Tuesday, September 2, during a midyear evaluation session, equally identified military monuments, the natural Mendankwe Forest and a host of others, as great sources of income to the Council.
Bongwa said the Council’s budget in income and expenditure at the beginning of the year stood at FCFA 233 million, but what was actually realised as six months after was only FCFA 60.6 million and FCFA 51.2 million as expenditure. She observed that the Council has received the sum of FCFA 25.8 million as Additional Council Tax from FEICOM, which is paid quarterly.
The Mayor announced that, work on the Town Hall suffered serious setbacks due to the parapet wall on the rear elevation that collapsed, the rear wall of the third floor which has cracks, the front part of the said parapet which is equally at the verge of collapsing, as dimensions were not used to specification and the contractor did not respect the terms in the jobbing order.
“In order to redress the situation, we have been holding meetings and a lot of changes will be undertaken under the strict supervision of the authorising officers”.
Projects realised in the midterm by the Council included road maintenance, equipment to primary and secondary schools, building of culverts and social activities in the provision of basic needs to the population.
The Mayor stated that the rehabilitation of the Bamendankwe Integrated Health Centre, the grading of the Abangoh Roads, the construction of classrooms at Ntoh, the setting up of the Council registration office, alongside the supply of benches to GS Ntoh and assistance to vulnerable population, were realized, Thanks to money from Public Invest Budget Projects.
Apart from presenting five key projects to the Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development to come to the rescue of this Council, Mayor Bongwa said her trip to Germany and visits to big towns in Cameroon will certainly yield fruits.
She regretted that the 2nd Deputy Mayor of Bamenda I Council, Leon Teukeu, died at his prime; less than three months in office.
Presiding at the evaluation meeting, the Assistant SDO for Mezam, Jean Pierre Ndoumbe Dikome, described Bamenda I as the poorest in the country and urged them to go all out for external sources of income, if they want to survive.
“Bamenda I Council should avoid depending solely on transfer of revenue. Work hard, your revenue is too low and if you do not watch out, before the year runs out, you will be swimming in debts.
Councillors, you must work to step up revenue, else, you stop asking for gratifications,” Dikome warned. He suggested that the council should contact MTN and Orange companies whose antennas are planted in Bamenda I Subdivision to pay some royalties to the Bamenda I Council to boost revenue.
The SDO picked holes in committee reports that were presented by the transport, works, social welfare and others, describing them as nothing to take home.
The meeting ran in to storm when the SDO sent away the press. About fifteen minutes later, he apparently had a rethink and the press was called back in. The councilors, after brainstorming, agreed with the administration that errors should be corrected in a manner that they would learn instead of using a horse whip or harsh words on elected officials.
Councillor Williams Asongwed told the SDO: “Sir, we were not born as Councillors and I want to believe not every committee report is wrong. We should be given time to do adjustments, rather than for you to tell us that we close this session and come back on October 3, at our expense. No, Sir.”
With an input from the Chief of Councils, Asana and the Secretary General to the Bamenda City Council, Victor Fomofret, all the reports were adopted. The Secretary General of the Bamenda City Council said they were ready to offer their expertise to train Councillors of Bamenda I to avoid the cacophony that reigns in the Council.
A highlight of the session was the election of the 2nd Deputy Mayor, Blaise Alain Betrand Kondong, 41, to replace the 1st Deputy Mayor, Leon Teukeu, who died two months ago.
